From the rainy North Coast of Northern Ireland!

[colcheddar]

Hello all, Ive had tattoos from 17, the first ones back in the day when there was one shop for 50 miles and he was the a legendary old school tattoo artist (code word for appalling, ships and dragons in two tone and one step beyond bamboo and a mallet!!)

Couple of small additions when i had my kids, also pretty ropey looking. Fast forward fifteen years and i decided to get a cover up of a dragon which by now looked like gorbachovs head splat.. Has a large half sleeve koi and dragon done, was excited as it was all the new inks and needles... turned out reasonable (to my eye)

another two years go by and thought id add to the sleeve - went to a different artist who laughed his ass of at the cover up, using droplines, poor shading, cheap inks and moron in the same sentence. Decided he wasnt for me and went home and looked at my cover up with new eyes.... i suppose its not great but definitley better than what it covered. Went to spain for a bholiday and fell in with some tattoo artists there -much more informative as to whats not greatm walked me though what should have been done and what to expect etc... still pissed themselves though.. ;)

CAme home, went to a new shop which had a good reputation and went - "here - fix this" He looked for quite sometime and decided if i was doing the full sleeve to start elsewhere, build up the styles around the cover up then start to fix it by blenind it with new background, re-doing the bits done wrong etc. Will be a few months in the making but now feeling positive about my arm again. Incredible how one mouthy arrogant git can ruin your confidence! And im already a pretty arrogant mouthy git myself!!!

Lol, anyway, got outline done of a new phoenix on the forearm which will start the new process - different beast altogether - lines are smooth, no dips or fluffs, he was pleasant and confident and i was put at ease. cant wait till colouring in time. Ill post a few pics as i go along (as well as the before and after cover up ones - you guys deserve a laugh!)

Before- (1992 ish) Sailor Bill II

After - (2012) Inkwell

New outline - 2014 Taylors Ink

that cover up photo is when it was new - its faded to show the original now....

[guitguy]

Welcome !

[Pleadco]

Greetings!

[peaceridge]

Glad to know I'm not the only newbee trying to figure out good from bad. Yes, one bad comment can ruin your day! It is really hard, though, to find out what is good - there's a thread on here about that. However, with the internet every comment can find it's opposite somewhere. I haven't had the nerve to put up my coverup that I just got - I'm really happy with it, so I want to have time loving it before some comment crashes it! Good luck with yours and glad to meet another newbee on the list.

[Patrick Bateman]

Welcome to the board bro!

Glad to know I'm not the only newbee trying to figure out good from bad. Yes, one bad comment can ruin your day! It is really hard, though, to find out what is good - there's a thread on here about that. However, with the internet every comment can find it's opposite somewhere. I haven't had the nerve to put up my coverup that I just got - I'm really happy with it, so I want to have time loving it before some comment crashes it! Good luck with yours and glad to meet another newbee on the list.

I agree, for once I can come to a place and ask questions without getting laughed at.

[colcheddar]

Thanks for the welcome guys

[marley mission]

welcome - new here myself

hey most important is what you think of your ink

i believe even the bad stuff is cool

anyway - i like your ink - thanks for sharing

but my favorite pic is the sailor bill dragon - something so cool about it

anyway - keep on keeping on and good luck with future ink

[colcheddar]

Heres the phoenix coloured...:rolleyes: